Theology as an academic subject

[arX]

From UK's The Guardian. The author is somewhat deluded (or dishonest, as Richard Dawkins claims) to defend the case for theology, but she rightfully quotes Thomas Paine who called this 'subject' "the study of nothing".

Theology is a crucial academic subject

It's failing to make a case for its survival as university cuts bite. But theology's value as an academic discipline is incalculable

Sophia Deboick
Friday 13 August

Bangor University has announced that its school of theology and religious studies will close in 2013, merging with the theology department at the University of Wales Trinity Saint David in a cost-cutting exercise.

With university budget cuts of £200m planned, the loss of the department is unlikely to be an isolated case. At the University of Birmingham's school of philosophy, theology and religion, one of the largest in the UK, up to a third of staff are facing redundancy, while the University of Sheffield's biblical studies department was also threatened with closure last year. Universities are under pressure to make immediate and drastic savings, and theology seems to be failing to make the case for its survival as a discipline worth studying.

Many will argue that if anything is going to be cut, theology departments are a pretty obvious target. Theology doesn't cure cancer, build skyscrapers or even produce books that anyone in their right mind would want to read. Thomas Paine said that theology "is the study of nothing", while science fiction writer Robert A Heinlein, in a memorable metaphor, likened it to "searching in a dark cellar at midnight for a black cat that isn't there".

Anyone who has grappled with the torturous passages of Thomas Aquinas's Summa Theologica will certainly have some sympathy for this position, and Aquinas's musings on such obscurities as whether a mouse or a dog that eats a consecrated Eucharistic host receives the body of Christ, are certainly not a great argument for the continued public funding of theological education.

Read on

[Jack]

I think theologians shot their wad in the 14th century. Theology has been pretty much a con game since. Good major for dodging the draft but pretty useless otherwise. Modern Protestant, evangelical American Christians don't need theologians. They got it all figured out on their own.

[ZNFYRH]

I agree that if a school isn't focusing on theology, they should cut the programs. But that's the same with any school and any program. I went to an engineering college... I don't remember seeing a music program anywhere.

If someone wants to pursue theology, they can do it at a school that specializes in it.

[sthack99]

This I what churches are for. I don't mind the study of world religion being a part of a history degree, but I am opposed to the study of any specific religion being taught in universities. And I'm extremely against creationism being taught as a "second option" for evolution. It has absolutely no place in Biology class.

[ZNFYRH]

Hold on a minute. The idea of tuition is that you're paying for the classes you are taking. Your $35,000 a year is going towards the teachers of the classes you're in, someone else's goes towards theirs, etc.

Universities can teach anything they want and as long as they have the budget to support it.

I think it's great that universities are considering their budget problems and looking at what they can eliminate.

I don't think they are getting rid of theology because it's bunk. I think they are doing it because the student ratio in those classes is low.

Come on, Volconvo... everything relating to religion isn't about believing or not believing. In this case, it just seems like they are getting rid of classes that aren't money-makers.

[100user]

In my home city, Belfast, people who want to study theology go to the bible college Union Theological (I used to work there, it's a really beautiful building with great facilities, they're very lucky), and people who want to study anything else go to Queen's University or Jordanstown. The running of Union Theological is funded entirely by the Presbyterian Church of Ireland, and this is how I believe it should be. No public funding should go into the running of theological courses or colleges, but I have absolutely no problem with them if the church wants to fund them.

"Theology doesn't cure cancer, build skyscrapers or even produce books that anyone in their right mind would want to read."
If the author of this article wants to use the argument that nothing useful has come out of a theology degree, then I'd like to cut all the other humanities degrees as well. I doubt any philosophy or performing arts majors are going to go on to build skyscrapers or cure cancer, or write books good for anything other than kindling. (No offense to any humanities majors who might read this).

[100user]

Hold on a minute. The idea of tuition is that you're paying for the classes you are taking. Your $35,000 a year is going towards the teachers of the classes you're in, someone else's goes towards theirs, etc.

Universities can teach anything they want and as long as they have the budget to support it.

I think it's great that universities are considering their budget problems and looking at what they can eliminate.

I don't think they are getting rid of theology because it's bunk. I think they are doing it because the student ratio in those classes is low.

Come on, Volconvo... everything relating to religion isn't about believing or not believing. In this case, it just seems like they are getting rid of classes that aren't money-makers.

In the UK all our university courses are heavily subsidised. In Scotland and Ireland they pay no fees at all, the government covers all of them. For my degree I'll probably only pay about £8,000 in tuition fees in total. That's $12,500 for 4 years of university study. The government pays for the rest.

So even subjects that are pulling good numbers could still be considered for being cut.

[Angry Citizen]

This is good stuff. Theology should be subsumed by the broader cultural study of religions. Treat them as the psychological phenomenon they are, not as a discipline worth studying in itself. Let the Christian colleges teach all the theology they want. They'll just dip further into obscurity next to state universities.

[Grogybear]

In the UK all our university courses are heavily subsidised. In Scotland and Ireland they pay no fees at all, the government covers all of them.

Not strictly true, not in ireland anyway. We only have to pay about €2000 a year though.

[Philip Lu]

This is good stuff. Theology should be subsumed by the broader cultural study of religions. Treat them as the psychological phenomenon they are, not as a discipline worth studying in itself. Let the Christian colleges teach all the theology they want. They'll just dip further into obscurity next to state universities.

UC's are pretty good!

[Maryjane]

I don't think they are getting rid of theology because it's bunk. I think they are doing it because the student ratio in those classes is low.

Come on, Volconvo... everything relating to religion isn't about believing or not believing. In this case, it just seems like they are getting rid of classes that aren't money-makers.

While not a university, the local public school board approved bible classes for our high schools, but due to low enrollment and budget cuts, they won't be happening this year except at one school.

"Comparative Religion class" I should say....

Bible Class In Chesterfield High Schools - wtvr

(Had to laugh at this comment from the article)

Well thats interesting indeed; hopefully the teabagging parents can take the classes also, maybe they can learn Jesus all over again.

[notthecheatr]

I think there should be more atheist theologians/Biblical scholars. You know, just to be able to say that there actually are atheists who are every bit as expert on your magical book and still don't believe.